Minister insists cutting livestock numbers does not make sense

CUTTING livestock numbers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions makes neither economic sense nor, in global terms , environmental sense.

That’s what Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security. He said any shortfall on markets, brought about by a reduction in Irish livestock output, will be filled by produce from less sustainable farming systems with a far greater carbon footprint than the Irish produce it displaces.

Mr Smith said farmers and the food industry are fully aware of their environmental and climate-related obligations

With global demand for food due to increase by 70% over the next 40 years, Ireland is ideally placed to contribute towards meeting this demand and its pasture-based farming system is better suited to doing so, in a sustainable way, than others.

He said Ireland’s agriculture sector has played a very significant role in reducing emissions and will continue to contribute its fair share to the national response.

Mr Smith said in the period from 2008–2012, emissions from the sector are projected to be 8.5% or 1.7 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent less per annum compared to 1990 levels.

However, he noted that compared to other sectors, there are, at present, very few cost-effective emission reduction options available to the agriculture sector.

An in-depth analysis of all options concluded with the current product mix, technologies could deliver a reduction of no more than 4% in emissions.

Mr Smith stressed there are many positive actions that can be taken to make some cuts in emissions from the sector.